Enemy Mine
by soilent-green-is-people
Summary: Sabertooth reflects back on his life in the Brotherhood, and realizes he is unhappy and lonely. The only person who could possibly understand is Wolverine. Would his sworn enemy ever realize life changes everyone - even mutants? R & R. Suggested SLASH.
1. Default Chapter

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Disclaimer: I own nothing, Marvel owns everything, so don't sue the poor shmuck who borrows the awesome characters they have created. 

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Setting: During the X-Men movie (first one). 

All reviews are welcome, even the flames (which I will subsequently burn and send Jubilee after you, to annoy the hell out of you until you come to your senses). 

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Chapter 1. Musings...

Sabertooth sat listlessly on the edge of the metal bunk, staring out between the metal bars that passed for the door to his room. He was the only one Magneto shut in at night, but he was never given an explanation why. Although he was feral and may look more like an animal than human, he was neither. He was a mutant, and belonged to a different race of people. However, regardless of what he was, he resented being caged. Perhaps that was why Magneto did it. 

Looking around cautiously as if afraid of being caught, Sabertooth reached down his shirt and pulled out the dog tag that he kept hidden around his neck, and close to his heart. Removing it, he fingered the small metal rectangle. It was well worn, and any sharp edges it may have once had were now smooth. WOLVERINE was written in faded letting, as well as some serial number. For the hundredth time Sabertooth brought it up and smelled it, the scent impregnated into the metal was very faint, put still present. Very masculine, and very Wolverine.

It was cold in his room, but he did not feel it on his skin. He lay back down on his narrow bunk, the dog tag still held in his fist. 

Sabertooth remembered the first time he came across Wolverine in the remote Canadian mountains of Alberta. He had been ordered to bring back the girl known as Rogue, who happened to be a passenger in Logan's truck. Sabertooth waited patiently in the cold, until he spotted the approaching camper. In order to immobilize the vehicle, he pushed down a tree in its path, effectively destroying the truck and sending Logan flying out through the front windshield. At the time Sabertooth did not care whether Wolverine lived or died, as that was not his concern. In his astonishment that he saw the Canadian stand up, shaking off what would have normally killed any other human, or mutant. A bit shaken, but recovering faster by the second, Wolverine came after him. 

When Wolverine unsheathed his claws, and started after Sabertooth, he finally understood what it meant to have a worthy adversary. For the first time in perhaps his whole life, Sabertooth had met someone who could match him skill for skill, blow for blow, healing factor for healing factor. He craved a good challenge, especially with someone who could match him in his own element - the wilds of the forest. 

Sabertooth sighed, lowering his fist with the dog tag still clutched in it, until it rested on his chest. Gravity pulled the silver chain down, and it snaked along his side before dangling there, swaying back and forth. Sabertooth felt somewhat embarrassed about keeping the dog tag. He picked it up during the fight with Wolverine, as a keepsake, and to prove to Magneto that he had tried to capture Rogue. If anyone caught him, and questioned why he still kept it, Sabertooth was not too sure he would know what to say. It was a reminder of a worthy adversary? Of a mutant he respected? Of a man he lusted after? Nobody would ever believe that of him, Sabertooth. He would be considered weak, and laughed out of the Brotherhood. Not to mention there was not the slightest chance in hell that Logan would ever have those types of feelings towards him. Sabertooth sighed, feeling foolish for having romantic feelings towards the short Canadian. What was he going to do, walk over the Xavier's school, knock on the door and ask Logan if he wanted to go out on a date? 

Sabertooth rolled over onto his side, still clutching the tag in his fist. The bars once again reminded him that he was caged in here, a prisoner to Magneto's powers. In many ways he resented his decision to join Magneto and the Brotherhood. Magneto was arguably one of the most powerful mutants of his time, however he was someone Sabertooth could never relate to. Aside from the fact that they were both mutants, the shared no common interests. Mystique was more agile then even he was, however she could never survive in the cold forests the way Sabertooth thrived in the challenging element. Her shape-shifting talents were best suited for the city, where she could merge into anyone or anything without being noticed. Toad - well he was just Toad. Useful, but shallow, and too awed by Magneto to ever consider shifting alliances, or leaving the Brotherhood altogether. 

No, Sabertooth realized he was on his own with this group, and it saddened him. Even though he was feral, it did not mean he was without feelings and emotions. He still longed for companionship and craved affection - especially physical affection. The only person he knew that could survive in the environment and way that Sabertooth wanted to live in, was Wolverine. Sabertooth realized there was very little chance the Canadian would consider a physical relationship with someone like Sabertooth. However, he would be happy just living, roaming and playing in the environment he was born to thrive in, even if it was with a companion rather than a mate. 

Sabertooth realized there was no way Logan would ever consider leaving Xavier and joining Magneto. Well then, that left just two options. Either Sabertooth had to wait for Logan to get restless and lake off on his own before Sabertooth followed, or else Sabertooth had to leave Magneto and join Xavier. None of these options seemed possible at the moment, so Sabertooth decided to wait and see what would happen in the next few weeks. Magneto had a plan that was slowly unfolding, and Sabertooth knew it involved the X-Men and Wolverine. And that made Sabertooth very happy. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N

I realize I am really, really late in updating this fic (sorry!).  In the meantime I started four others, and completed three. Hopefully I can switch my focus back on this one now.

 Thanks to all who have read and reviewed!!  Please note that this chapter is where X-Men the movie leaves off, and the AU takes over. There will be a few similarities, however.

Ch2. 

Sabertooth lay on his bunk, resting. He was awake, but he kept his eyes closed, relying on his other senses to tell him what was happening in the environment surrounding him.  He could smell Magneto well before he heard his steady, purposeful footsteps.  Sabertooth sat up, hastily making sure Wolverine's dog tag was safely tucked away inside his shirt. He knew it was useless to do so.  Magneto could identify the smallest trace of metal on his body, but he still wanted to keep it hidden from Magneto's eyes for personal reasons. 

Without warning, the bars to his room bent aside with a forceful groan, allowing Sabertooth to duck out of his sleeping cell just as Magneto approached it, and stopped. Behind Magneto, Mystique stood as blue and alluring as always. She raised her hand and placed it possessively on Magneto's shoulder, then winked at Sabertooth by way of flirtatious greeting, which he chose to ignore.  

Sabertooth respected Mystique as a colleague, but his feelings went no deeper than that.  More than once she had approached him, trying to seduce him with the temptation of taking on any form he wished.  Sabertooth was not interested, and he had let her know that by his lack of pursuit.  His experience with women was such that their bones broke far too easily when he became really excited, and forgot to temper his lust.  That tended to put a damper on his sex life, especially since he liked his foreplay a bit on the rough side. Mystique knew this, but she still tried to tempt him, hoping one day Sabertooth would change his mind.  

"Come, Sabertooth," Magneto said in his commanding voice. "There are plans to discuss."

Silently, for such a large man, Sabertooth followed the two out of the cold hall, and into Magneto's office, where Toad was already squatting in a corner of the room. With a vague gesture of his hand, Magneto beckoned two metal chairs, and they scraped across the floor towards his desk, behind which he seated himself. Sabertooth took one chair, Mystique the other. Toad remained squatting where he was, his head flicking back and forth as he followed the path of a fly around the room. 

"There are two issues I need to discuss with you," Magneto said looking around the room at the three mutants staring back at him. "First, there is the issue of the mutant machine.  Secondly, of Senator Kelly.

"Now, the prototype for the electromagnetic generator is almost complete, but before we test it on humans, we need to make sure it will not cause damage to our brother mutants. It is unfortunate, but we must find one or more mutants and test it out before we can proceed with our real purpose. It will not further our cause to find out the machine will create mutants out of humans, but end up killing real mutants in the process." 

Mystique blinked here yellow eyes at Magneto, and spoke up.  "I have a few mutants in mind that we could use," she said mockingly in her echoing voice. 

Magneto looked at her with warm affection.  "I am afraid I will need your particular talents for another mission, my dear." He looked around at Sabertooth.  "I believe our feral colleague here will have no trouble locating one in the next day or so." Sabertooth turned his black eyes to look at Mystique, and smelled her disappointment, but he made no comment. 

"Mystique, I will need you and Toad to go and collect the good Senator, and bring him back here.  There will be an excellent opportunity three days from now, when he is transported away from a press meeting.  That should give you plenty of time to scout out the security and integrate yourselves.  I will leave the details up to you on how you do it. We need him alive, so be careful."

Toad looked over at Mystique with a comical grin on his yellowish face. "Careful… right," he said his grin suggesting otherwise.  

Magneto ignored the comment.  He knew Toad would not really harm the Senator.  If he did, he would have to answer to _him_. 

"Now are there any questions?" Magneto asked, looking at each of them in turn.

Sabertooth spoke up.  "Any suggestions where I can pick up a mutant without much interference?" he asked. "I would prefer not to get one that is too tightly integrated into the human network, as it would draw too much attention to us."

Magneto turned his cold, blue eyes on the giant mutant in front of him. "Where do you know of where mutants can be found in abundance, especially runaways?" he asked pointedly. "Personally, I know of a certain school in upstate New York that caters to nothing but mutants.  That would be a good start," he said, condescendingly. 

Inwards, Sabertooth smiled. He ignored the taunt, as Magneto just gave him permission to do exactly what he had wanted to do; go to Xavier's school. In some ways, being so physically large made those around him think he was stupid – all brawn and no brains. Sometimes he had to play the part of the meathead to keep up this illusion.  He did not care what others thought of him if it meant he would get what he wanted in the end. 

"Now, I suggest we adjourn.  Sabertooth – I want a mutant here, within two days. Mystique, Toad, Senator Kelly within three. That is all."

Sabertooth stood to leave. This day was turning out to be better then expected, he thought, unconsciously fingering the dog tag beneath his shirt.  However, he needed time to think and plan. He knew he had a major decision to make, and quickly.  If everything worked out properly, he would see Wolverine soon, and hopefully get a chance to talk to him. That thought left a warm sensation lingering in his chest.  However, in the back of his mind here knew that by making this commitment, he would forever make an enemy out of Magneto and the rest of the Brotherhood. 

That thought left a cold chill running down his spine, and he was not one to frighten easily. 

**~*~**

Sabertooth stood in the bushes outside the Mansion, peering into a window of Xavier's school.  He had thought long and hard on this decision, and he knew most likely it would not work out the way he had planned. But, he had to take his chances. If all else failed, he would have to go on the run, but at this point in time it was a risk he was willing to take. 

He waited until he saw the group of young children gather up their books and start to leave the room before he cleared his mind. He hoped this worked.  Taking a deep breath, he silently called out. He watched as Xavier paused, swivelled his wheelchair around, and rolled over to the window to look out. Xavier was not exactly looking towards him, but that did not matter. Sabertooth knew he could still reach him through his mind. 

_"Sabertooth? What do you want?"_ Xavier asked in his mind. The effect of hearing that voice so loud and clear in his mind was disorientating, and made him nervous. He ignored that, and pushed on.

_"What do I want? Help. To bring you a warning.  To ask you a favour,"_ he thought.  He tried his hardest to project his genuine sincerity, however it was hard to do after keeping his thoughts and feelings so tightly protected, for so long.  

Sabertooth watch as Charles wheeled over to the doors that opened out onto the adjacent deck. He opened them wide, then wheeled out a few feet, but still within the safety of the building. 

"Come out where I can see you please," Xavier called towards the bushes where he thought the feral was hiding.  In response, Sabertooth parted the shrubs and took a few steps closer to the Professor. They just stared at each other for a moment.

Without warning, a scream of anger and rage filled the air, and Sabertooth looked up just in time to see two claws outstretched, and a bundle of powerful muscle being projected over the railing of the deck, right at him.  Wolverine had walked past Professor Xavier's office when he caught a whiff of a scent he would never forget. _Him_. His body reacted before he had time to think. He had started to run as soon as he saw the Professor open the outside doors and wheel himself through them. Running at top speed he manoeuvred around the Professor, and unsheathing his claws, he launched himself off the end of the deck towards the source of that scent. 

Sabertooth had less than a second to react to the surprise attack. Turning aside to avoid the lethal claws, he managed to push Wolverine off balance as he came at him, which gained him a few precious seconds to prepare. Wolverine was fast. He picked himself off the ground and was coming at him again, still filled with rage. This time Sabertooth was ready.  As the mutant rushed towards him, claws out, he managed to pull Wolverine's arms apart, but Wolverine's forward momentum forced them both to fall backwards, Wolverine atop of Sabertooth. He felt the weight of the shorter man on top of him, and with all of his feral strength, Sabertooth simply held his arms apart, preventing himself from being impaled. Wolverine struggled, trying to release his hands from the iron grip that held him. 

Sabertooth looked at him with his inky black eyes. The scent of the man was heady to him.  With sudden realization that the smaller mutant was on top of him, struggling in such a way that he could feel the whole length of solid muscle and masculinity against his body, Sabertooth could feel in his body begin to respond with sheer lust. The scent combined with the close physical contact was enticing him, stimulating, and intoxicating.  For once, he had met someone who he could grasp, and not hurt.    

"Wolverine! Stop!" Xavier called from atop the deck.  They both ignored him. 

Sabertooth rolled over such that Wolverine was pinned beneath him, his arms safely outstretched to the sides. He let the weight of his seven-foot frame cover the other mutant, and lifted his pelvis slightly so that he would not feel the start of a very large erection pressing insistently against him. Although he desired the shorter mutant, he did not want to scare him off. 

Wolverine felt the softness of the long blond hair that fell around Sabertooth's face, and across his own.  He could feel the strong heart beat of the feral against his chest.  He looked up into jet-black eyes that were but mere inches from his own, and was surprised to see no malice in them. Excitement and… something else, but not malice. 

"What are you doin' here?" Wolverine snarled, still struggling for release.  He was not used to being pinned down, as he was almost always the stronger when it came to hand to hand combat.  Then again, he had never before come across a seven-foot giant of man who was not only as strong as him, but it seems, a bit more agile. He did not think it was possible for someone that large to have such fast reflexes.

"I came here to talk," Sabertooth said defensively, still putting pressure on Wolverine's wrists in order to keep them outstretched and the claws away from him. 

"Talk 'bout what?" He continued to struggle, and in doing so his hips bucked up to meet those of the feral giant. For a moment Wolverine was confused. Did he just feel what he thought he felt? He had had erections before, but never quite like the mother of all boners he had just felt. He took a quick whiff of the man laying so intimately on top of him.  Lust. Wolverine looked up in astonishment, to see the giant gazing down at him, a hungry, yearning expression on his face.

"You," Sabertooth replied. 

With a scream of fury, Wolverine shifted the weight of the giant, and rolled to the side, breaking free of Sabertooth's grasp. As he rolled, he gave a swipe of his claws, aiming directly for Sabertooth. His feline reflexes saved him from being mortally wounded, but Sabertooth still received the impact of the wound.  Sabertooth gave a roar of pain and anger at letting his prey go. Wolverine's claws left four parallel slash marks diagonally up his chest and across his face. Blood started to pour out of the wounds, and was leaking into his eyes, blinding him. 

Realizing this was not going the way he intended, Sabertooth prepared for one more offensive attack, and then hoped he could leap over the ground walls, and get away. 

He turned, crouching low, to face the shorter man when he saw a beam of ruby red hit Wolverine squarely in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Sabertooth did not wait, he gathered himself up, preparing to leap when he realized he could not move. Something held him, preventing him from leaping. He heard a shot sound, like a gun firing, and felt a sting in the side of his neck. He just had time enough to scent the air around him and realize that he was no longer alone.  He could smell Xavier, but there were other mutants close by… at least three others. His vision clouded, but not from the blood dripping into his eyes. He felt his limbs go numb, just before he lost consciousness, and fell to the ground. 

Xavier looked around at Jean, Cyclops and Storm.  He sensed their collective thought. _Now what_?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N.  Many, many thanks to those who have taken the time to read and post a review! It is really appreciated! This chapter does not have too much interaction with Sabertooth and Wolverine, but it is important to the plot.  The next chapter will be better …

Chapter 3. 

"How much did you give him, Storm?" Xavier asked.

"Enough to kill a human, and sedate two horses," she said matter-of-factly. "I wanted to make sure it would be enough to knock him out.  I guess it was," she said unapologetically, looking down on the drugged Sabertooth laying on the table in front of her.

"Jean? That dosage won't hurt him, will it?" Charles asked, concerned. 

Jean looked over at the man in the wheelchair with a subtle smile of reassurance. "I doubt it. If nothing else he will just wake up with a nasty headache and a dry mouth. I probably would have given him more than Storm did, actually," she said looking over at the Weather Witch with a smile. Jean picked up some sterile gauze and dabbed some disinfectant solution on it. 

"Do you know what he wanted?" Storm asked, watching as Jean carefully wiped the blood away from Sabertooth's raked face. 

"I didn't have time to find out," Xavier replied, wheeling over to stare at the blond feral.  "From what I gather, he was here not to hurt us.  Quite the opposite, in fact. He was here to talk to us."

"So he wasn't lyin' then," Wolverine muttered, leaning against the far back wall. He was still unconvinced.

Everyone in the room turned to look at him. 

"Did he say anything to you Logan?" Xavier asked. 

Wolverine looked away, uncomfortable with the memory of what had just happened. The passion and physical excitement Sabertooth had obviously felt when they were fighting was something he had to think about. He was not sure what it meant. 

"No, not really."  

Charles looked away, sure there was something Logan was hiding. 

Jean looked over at the Xavier. "Can you reach him?"

"I can try," he replied, gliding over and positioning himself near Sabertooth's head. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Vague images entered his consciousness. Pictures of other mutants, but most notably Magneto and Wolverine. _Strange_…  He tried to reach Sabertooth's emotions, but either the feral mutant kept them too tightly buried, or else the drugs in his system were somehow blocking his access. Xavier opened his eyes, knowing that he would get nothing this way.  They would just have to wait until Sabertooth came to.

He looked around the room at the X-Men and shook his head. 

"All I can get is that it has something to do with Magneto, which is no surprise, and Wolverine."

Once more all eyes turned to look Logan. 

"What?  I didn't _do_ anything," he said defensively.  "The first time I saw him was when he attacked Rogue and me in my truck. And today. That's it," he said with finality. Why the hell would Sabertooth want to talk to him?

"Well, for whatever personal reasons, Sabertooth feels some sort of connection to you Logan. I think it would be in everybody's best interest if at some point, the two of you had a chat," Xavier said pointedly. 

"For now, I don't think we can do anything except wait until he regains consciousness. Jean, can I ask you to watch him for a while?  I will stay here as well. He approached me first, and I honestly do not think he would harm me. The rest of you can go."

Without another word, Storm turned and walked out.  Logan slowly pushed himself off the wall and walked over to Sabertooth.  He looked down and saw the gashes from his claws, mark his face. He did not feel bad about that. Just curious. What the hell would Sabertooth have to say to him that was so important he would risk coming to X-Men central? Still confused, Logan turned and walked out of the room without a backwards glance. 

Jean finished disinfecting the wounds on Sabertooth's face, when she started to unbutton his shirt, so she could reach the wounds on his chest. She tried to part the material when she realized something was caught near the collar. She reached up to disentangle it, when she realized it was some sort of chain. Pulling it loose she found the small dog tag attached. Turning it over in her hand she read the name inscribed on it. 

"Professor? Come take a look at this," she said. Xavier wheeled over and Jean held it up so he could see it. 

"It's Logan's."

Jean sensed the movement just before Sabertooth's hand made a clumsy swipe for the dog tag. He was still groggy, but was coming out of his drugged state, and recovering his senses quickly. 

Jean dropped the tag and quickly backed up but kept her hand out, ready to use her telekinesis to prevent Sabertooth from attacking if he tried to.  Instead, she saw him slowly raise his hand and touch the wounds across his face. He lifted them and looked at the blood on his fingers. Jean realized his irises were so black, she could not tell where his pupils started or ended. She heard Xavier address him.  

"Victor, you are at Xavier's school for the gifted. You have been sedated, and except for a few scratches from Logan, you are unhurt."

"They will heal," he said thickly, his mouth feeling like all of the moisture had been sucked out of it.  Sabertooth turned to look at Jean.  "You were right.  My head is killing me and my mouth is dry."

He watched her reaction with amusement. 

"How long have you been awake?" she asked, reaching for a glass of water to hand to him. 

"Shortly after you picked me up and brought me inside," he replied. She narrowed her eyes at him. 

"So you have heard everything we said." It came out as a statement, and not a question. "Why didn't you let us know?"

Sabertooth just smiled an enigmatic smile. 

"Just because I gained consciousness does not mean that I had full use of my arms and legs. It would have been stupid of me to draw attention when I could not defend myself." He took a long sip of water. He noted the look of surprise on Jean's face at his words. Again, he felt like everyone thought because he was more animal than human, that he was stupid.  Well, they were wrong. 

"Victor, why are you here," Xavier asked seriously, wheeling closer to Sabertooth.

"I already told you," he replied, inconspicuously tucking the dog tag back into the safety of his shirt. 

"I am afraid you will have to be more specific than that."

Sitting upright, he reached for the dampened gauze and began to clean the slash marks across his broad chest. He thought for a moment.  He had made it this far – to back out now would not help him in the long run.

"To get out. Away from the Brotherhood. And to warn you of what will most likely happen in the next few days." He let the impact of what he was saying sink in, in the heavy silence of the room. 

Xavier thought about it a moment and realized this was what was weighing so heavily on his mind.  Magneto. 

"This has to do with Magneto, doesn't it Victor?" Xavier asked. 

The feral giant snorted.  "Doesn't it always?"

"You had better explain what he has planned.  That will give me a better idea of what is to happen."

Sabertooth looked over at Jean, then back at Xavier, silently questioning here presence.  

"You can speak freely.  Eventually, the rest of the X-Men will have to know if there is anything we can do to help."

Resigning himself to his fate, he sighed. As briefly as possible, Sabertooth outlined Magneto's plans for both mutants and humans.  He explained he came there under the pretext of kidnapping a mutant to use as a test subject, and that one was expected to be brought back in the next two days. He explained the nature of the machine Magneto had built, and what it potentially was capable of. He also mentioned that Mystique and Toad has orders to ambush Senator Kelly in order to turn him into a mutant, and therefore turn the tide of the war against mutants to their side.  He finished, and looked at Xavier, waiting for his reaction. 

Xavier had listened to Sabertooth's information, but at the same time he was assessing the feral's mind for untruths, or worse – half truths. He found neither.  What he did sense was uncertainty, fear, and surprisingly – loneliness. 

Xavier wheeled closer to Sabertooth and leaned up to look him in the eyes. 

"Why are you telling us this, Victor?" he asked. 

Sabertooth felt the uncomfortable weight of the Professor's eyes upon him.  It felt like he was searching his soul, and perhaps he would come out wanting.  For all her knew, perhaps Xavier was doing just that. 

"I have my reasons," he said nervously, breaking his dark gaze away.  

"That is not good enough, I am afraid," Xavier replied. "If we are to trust you, Victor, you will have to trust us. Why now? Why are you coming to us with this information?  You realize most of the others will not trust you, especially after you attacked Logan and Marie."

Unconsciously, he put his hand to his chest where Wolverine's tag hung warm and comforting against his skin. 

Xavier waited patiently for the giant to find the words to express what was going on in his head. 

"People change. Even me. Sometimes, something happens to you that makes you look up and take notice - makes you realize that there is something out there that you have been missing out on. Part of you wants to find out what it was that caught your attention in the first place. Let's just say it's an instinct.  And if there is one thing I rely on and trust, it is my instinct."

Xavier sensed the loneliness well up in inside Victor, before the emotion was quickly suppressed. He knew the issues went much deeper than that, but he was not about to probe too much deeper. The first priority was to talk to the X-Men and find out what they can do about Magneto. 

"Even if it means that seeking that something will come at a cost to you?  A very high cost?" Xavier probed. He could only imagine the anger Magneto will feel at Sabertooth's betrayal, if he found out. 

"Especially if it comes at a cost. The best things in life are worth dying for, don't you think?"

Xavier chose not to answer that particular question. 

"Do you plan on returning to Magneto?" he asked. 

Sabertooth reached up and touched his aching head. The drugs he was injected with were starting to take their toll. 

"I don't know.  Depends."

"On what?"

Sabertooth looked over at the professor and gave him a penetrating stare.  "Depends on you. If you can think of a way to get me out of all of this, then I am open to suggestions.  Otherwise, I will head out and keep running, I guess."

The Professor nodded his head in understanding.  

"I suggest you rest here for the moment, Victor.  I will meet with the others and discuss options. I will be back in an hour or so."

Xavier wheeled over to Jean and indicated they should leave. Just before he exited, he looked back to see the blond giant reach up and place his hand over his chest, and if seeking something out there, something reassuring. Xavier had a pretty good idea what it was. 

**~**~**

"And you believe him!" Scott yelled, staring at Xavier and Jean. The Professor had just explained Magneto's plans to the assembled X-Men, much to their disbelief. 

"He is telling the truth Scott."

"How do you know?  Maybe Magneto planned this or set him of to come to us or something," Scott continued in anger.  He still did not trust the feral mutant. 

Xavier gave him an ironic look.  "It is I who is the psychic, not Magneto. I think that if this were planned, Magneto would know I would pick up on it right away.  No, this is for real."  Xavier looked around at all of the assembled X-Men.  

"I think we have an opportunity here to step in and stop Magneto before he does something drastic.  From what I see we have only one option. We must go into Magneto's complex and destroy this machine, and find the plans he used to build it.  We must destroy these as well, so he cannot make a duplicate.  If he is bound and determined to build this, at least it will slow him down a bit, and give us time to prepare for the next machine he builds."

"Now we have two options as I see it. We can go in right now, find the machine and destroy it, which will be difficult at best, not to mention potentially very dangerous. Doing so when he is at his strongest, and will most likely have Mystique and Toad there with him makes this very risky. The second option would be to wait until tomorrow and allow Sabertooth to bring in a mutant. We can have Magneto test the machine, and when he is weak and much less dangerous, probe his mind for the location of the plans, and destroy them and the machine.  Chances are with Sabertooth there with Magneto, Mystique and Toad will have left to plan for the abduction of Senator Kelly."

"We can't do that," Storm said in confusion.  "We could never put ourselves in jeopardy since we have no idea how this machine will affect mutants. If these are our only options, than I say we go in there fighting." 

There was a general consensus of agreements around the room.   

Xavier smiled. "There is one mutant who I know of who can survive such that the radiation will never actually touch them. The problem is, I don't know if she would agree to help us."

It was Jean who realized who he was talking about. 

"Kitty Pride?"

The Professor looked at Jean and nodded. "Yes, Kitty.  She can phase her physical being such that she can pass through solid objects.  I believe that she can phase herself so that the waves of electromagnetic radiation from Magneto's machine will be out of sync with her body, and they will never actually touch or harm her. Magneto will initiate the machine, exhaust himself, and we can take it from there."

"What about Sabertooth?  Where will he be in all of this," Scott asked. "The last thing we need is for him to turn on us at the last moment." He was still unconvinced of the feral's sincerity at wanting to leave the Brotherhood.

The Professor thought for a moment.  It was imperative that they use Sabertooth to get in close to Magneto's machine. 

"It is possible we could arrange for what would appear to be an 'accident' for him.  That way Magneto will think he died, and he would be free to leave, at least for the time being."

An uneasy silence filled the room as the X-Men thought about the plan. 

"Logan? Your opinion on this? You have been awfully quiet."  

Wolverine looked back at the Professor. 

"For once I agree with Blinky over there," he said indicating Scott. "I don't trust him yet. There is something he is not telling us, and I don't like being forced to work with someone I can't completely trust."

"Fair enough, Logan, but unfortunately I really don't think we have the luxury of waiting until you get to know Sabertooth better. However, I do suggest you go talk to him yourself. I believe you can smell it when someone lies to you. Ask him yourself, and make your own decision."  Xavier wheeled over to his desk. 

"Storm, Jean, I would like you to talk to Kitty and explain what is involved.  We cannot do this without her cooperation, and if she does not feel safe, then we will have to meet again and discuss other options. Scott, could you please stay with me.  I have to contact Senator Kelly and we may have to fly out to meet with him. I am sure he would like to know what is planned for him the day after tomorrow."

As the X-Men separated to attend their respective tasks, the Professor watched as Logan stood and walked over to the door to the hallway. Wolverine paused and looked back at Xavier for a moment, and he seemed almost… unsure. He saw the encouraging nod of Xavier's head before he fixed a look of confidence before continuing on out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N.  I really, really have to thank all the reviewers who have commented so positively on this story. It is appreciated! I write in two other fandoms (Harry Potter, Baldur's Gate), and I must say the X-Men fandom (stories, readers and reviewers) is the best by far. The criticisms are constructive (and my fault for overlooking the small details that make a fic so worthwhile to read – thank you ), and that constructive comments are very applicable.  Thanks again. Happy reading.

Chapter 4. 

Logan walked down to the basement of the school to where Sabertooth was recovering.  He paused at the entrance and saw the feral's long form stretched out on the examination table.  The mutant was so large that his feet hung out over the edge of the table, and he looked like a normal human sleeping on a child's bed. But he knew that Victor was far from a normal human. 

Silently, Logan walked over and stood beside Sabertooth, looking down at him.  His long blond hair was pooled around his face, and a few strands hung down over the side of the table. Wolverine remembered the softness of that hair as it brushed against him earlier on in the day, and the way it smelled so clean. Not too sure why he remembered that, he dismissed the memory with a shake of his head. Wolverine moved his eyes down to look more carefully at the three gashes his claws had inflicted on the feral's face. They had been cleaned and the dried blood wiped away by Jean.  They were deep, but they should heal without stitches. There will definitely be a few scars left there as a reminder of their encounter he realized. _I guess I have left my mark on him, both figuratively and literally_, he thought ironically.

Logan looked at his face again.  It was large and angular, very masculine, but with strong bone structures. His fingers ended in thick, black-brown nails that were basically claws. He knew that these were not made of adamantium, but could still inflict serious damage on an opponent. He remembered the feral's long canine teeth that he bared when they were fighting. Those, too, were part of his mutation.  Logan knew Sabertooth exhibited more animalistic traits than he himself did, and was wise enough not to assume his intelligence was lowered to that of an animal.  In a way, Sabertooth had the best of all worlds – the strength, and increased agility of a feral animal, but the intelligence of a human.  Unless of course you take into consideration working for Magneto – then that definitely qualifies as a decrease in intelligence, he thought with a smirk. 

Because his mutation was quite visible to humans, Logan realized there was no way Sabertooth could live in the human world, passing as a 'normal human being'. If Victor were going to go on the run, he would have to hide outside of cities, living in the wilds like an animal. That was no way to live. Wolverine accepted that even _he_ needed companionship every now and then, as much as he hated to admit it.  He could imagine that Sabertooth was much the same.  So why would Victor choose to leave the Brotherhood, only to have Magneto hunt him down? Why would he want to run the risk of living the rest of his life on the run?  What was so important that made him decide to leave the Brotherhood?

Wolverine's gaze travelled further down the see the slow rise and fall of the feral's massive chest. It was perfect in it's rhythm. Too perfect, in fact. 

"Hey Bub, I know you're awake," Logan said. "Open your eyes, we need to talk."

He watched as Victor's eyes opened and their gaze locked.  Once more, Logan was filled with a sense of unease at not being able to see his pupils, as his irises were so dark, they seemed to swallow them up. 

"I never said I was asleep, you just assumed that," Victor said, studying the man in front of him.  "So?  Have the X-Men decided to lynch me, and they are giving you first dibs?" he asked mockingly. 

Wolverine gave him the sweetest artificial smile he could muster. 

"Very funny.  I didn't know ferals had a sense of humour." 

Sabertooth slowly sat up and gave him a wry look.  "Shows you how much you know about ferals." He reached for his head, which was still aching from the sedative he was given. 

_Point made_, Wolverine thought to himself. A slightly uncomfortable silence followed in the room after that comment.

"So you will be happy to know that whatever lines you fed the Professor worked. Tomorrow we will go in and set Magneto up.  We have a mutant that can withstand any radiation the machine will produce, and once Magneto is exhausted, we figure he will be easier to control. We plan to destroy the machine and any blueprints he has on file. The Professor thought we could stage an accident for you so that Magneto will think you were not involved, and can slink out the back door.  Maybe Scotty can blast you outta there in front of Magneto or something. We don't have all of the details outlined yet."

Sabertooth ignored the barb about slinking away, and sat there thinking about the sketchy plan. It could work, as long as Mystique and Toad are not around. 

"Check Mystique's lair.  She was the one who updated the computers and kept copies of the machine plans. If they are anywhere, they would be with her, or in his main office."

Wolverine grunted, and stored that information away for later. "Anything else you can tell me that can help us?" he asked.

Sabertooth thought for a moment.  "Who is going?"

"Storm, Jean, Scott, Kitty – the mutant I mentioned. You.  Me."

"No," Sabertooth said with finality, cutting Logan off. 

"Whadda ya mean, _no_?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in anger. 

"You can't go," Victor replied quietly. 

Rage filled Wolverine at this comment. _Who the hell was he to say who went and who did not_? 

"Sorry Bub, but you are not in charge of this outfit. I am going whether you like it or not."

Wolverine saw the feral sigh in exasperation, as he sat up straight and looked down at Wolverine. Once more, Logan realized how large the man was. His next comment surprised the hell out of him. 

"Give me your hand," Sabertooth said sincerely, holding out his large one, palm up. 

Logan took a step back his hands raised in a defensive motion, unsure of what Victor meant. 

"Hey – I don't know what you are implying buddy, but…"

He saw the look of annoyance cross Sabertooth's face. "Just do it, OK? As you dear Professor told me, if he is going to trust me, I will have to trust him.  Now, I am asking _you_ to trust _me_. My head is killing me, my limbs are weak from the drugs your friends shoved into me, and the scratches you gave me are burning.  I am not in the best of shape at this moment, and if you wanted to overpower me, you probably could without too much trouble. Now, trust me, and give me your damn hand," he said tiredly, still holding his own out.

Taken back by this, and realizing the truth when he heard it, Logan was surprised to see himself take a hesitant step forward and slowly extend his right hand.  He placed it into Sabertooth's, and was surprised at how soft it felt. He waited, and saw the feral slowly clasp his hand, bringing his other one up such that he was holding Wolverine's between his own. He started to slowly manipulate the knuckles, feeling around under the skin. For such large fingers, the man was very gentle and careful, Wolverine thought, as the feral felt around the wrist and lower arm of the shorter man. Sabertooth did not say a word while he did this; he just continued feeling around Logan's hand. 

"I feel stupid, standing here," Logan said after a minute of this. What Victor was doing actually felt pretty nice, but he worried that Jean or worse – Scott – would walk in and see him there, holding hands with the mutant. 

"So.  Deal with it," was the preoccupied reply. Sabertooth let go one of his hands and turned Logan's hand around so that his fingers were out of the way. 

"Your claws.  Unsheathe them," he commanded.  It came out not as a request, but more of a demand.

Wolverine froze in surprise. Nobody had ever asked him to do that before.  Nobody had ever wanted to.  It was such a personal, almost intimate thing to request, especially while holding his hand that he almost felt like telling Sabertooth to go to hell.  Almost. 

As slowly as possible, and unsure exactly why he was agreeing to do this, Wolverine unsheathed his claws. They slowly pierced the skin between his knuckles causing single drops of blood to appear where the blades sliced his skin, and grew inch-by-inch until they were fully extended.  Sabertooth bent his head over Logan's hand in concentration, just as a stray strand of hair fell down to land on Logan's arms.  It tickled, he thought, but not unpleasantly. With the claws fully extended, Victor turned the hand over to examine it on all sides. With a final subtle squeeze, he reluctantly let it go, his hand falling back into his lap. 

"That is why," he said simply, looking down at Wolverine.

Wolverine was confused.  "Why what?"

"Why you can't go," Sabertooth replied, as if it was obvious. Clearly Wolverine did not understand him, so Sabertooth made it extremely simple.

"Look, your claws are made out of metal, right?  An incredible metal, but metal just the same.  This same metal is graphed to your bones.  I can feel by the weight of your hand and arm that there is more if it inside of you. I assume whoever put it there would not just stop at your arms, so it must run throughout your whole body. If this is so, then you will be a sitting duck for Magneto to manipulate. Even if he is drained and tired, just a fraction of his powers could root you to the spot.  If Mystique and Toad should happen to return, you would not have a chance to fight back. Your X-Men friends would then have someone else to take care of, and you have just gone from an asset to a liability to the group. And believe me, nobody wants a liability on your side when working against Magneto." 

Logan quickly retracted the claws and looked down at his hand as if it had betrayed him. For the first time since he became aware of his fantastic claws, he realized they could be used against him. So far he had never come across anyone who could defeat him because of his adamantium 'gifts'. Sabertooth could match him, but not outright beat him. Magneto, on the other hand, could rip the metal right off his bones, leaving him completely useless, and possibly dead, if he so chose to do so. The thought was a sobering one, and something he did not fully understand before Sabertooth pointed it out to him in no uncertain terms.

While Logan was preoccupied with his hand, Sabertooth took the opportunity to slowly swing his legs over the side of the examination table and stand. Suddenly his vision darkened, as blood rushed from his head to his feet after being prone for so long. His legs started to buckle, and Sabertooth reached out to the side of the table to brace himself so he would not crash to the floor. 

Logan saw the mutant sway briefly before putting his hand out towards to table, which never connected. Reacting without thinking, Logan stepped forward and grasped the feral around the waist slamming him against the examination table, but keeping him upright. Logan held him there a moment while Sabertooth managed to steady himself. It was a few more moments before his vision stopped swimming, and he was able to regain his senses. 

Sabertooth looked down at the other mutant, and realized what had happened. It warmed him to know that even after they had fought this morning, Logan would actually make the effort to help him when he needed it. In some way, it made what he felt in his heart a bit easier to bear. He realized that after Logan's reaction to letting him just hold his hand to examine it, there was no way Wolverine would let him kiss him, much less go further.  Still, it was something, and he had to start from there. 

"Head rush," Sabertooth said by way of brief explanation. "Thanks, Logan."

It was the first time Sabertooth had addressed him by his given name, and it sounded… odd to his ears.  Wolverine realized he was still pressed tightly up against the feral.  His body was so large and firm, but the skin along his arm where it was touching him felt as soft as a pelt. Uncomfortable with the close proximity, he quickly stepped away. 

"Yeah. Sure.  Think nothing of it," he said awkwardly. _Why the hell did this guy make him feel so weird inside? Why was he noticing these things about him?  His hair, his skin…_  Uncertainty was not an emotion he was used to feeling, and it threw him off. 

"Well, are we supposed to go meet with Xavier, or what happens now?" Sabertooth asked, changing the subject. 

Wolverine checked the clock on the wall.  "Soon. They are probably not finished yet.  I would give them another hour. They will come and get us if they have to."

Sabertooth grunted, and with nothing else to do, he started to walk around the examination room, trying to work the anaesthetic out of his limbs. 

Wolverine watched as the mutant made his way slowly around the room. There was something else he wanted to ask him about regarding this morning.  He was not sure how to bring this up, but Logan knew it was better to bring things out into the open than agonize about it. He should do this now rather than later, where others may be present. Taking a deep breath, and feeling painfully embarrassed asking this, he waited until he saw Sabertooth round the far corner of the room. 

"Uh… I wanted to ask you something.  About earlier on today," Logan started.

Sabertooth looked up, but kept walking.  The exercise, as pitiful as it was, was doing him some good. 

"What?"

"Logan looked down at his feet, then at the back wall.  Anywhere except at the feral giant making his way slowly towards him. 

"When… when we were fighting on the ground, and you had me pinned, I thought I felt something. I know I smelled something, and I thought maybe it was… sort of… excitement.  I wanted to see if I was mistaken or not." He was disgusted with himself. He now doubted what he thought he had felt or perceived out there.  He could be wrong, of course, which would make this line of questioning redundant, and he could get the hell out of there. But he wanted to know.

Sabertooth paused briefly in his pacing, before taking a deep breath and continuing on. He did not think Logan had the guts to broach this subject. Well, he was just proven wrong.

"You mean you scented lust on me, and felt my erection," he said looking at Wolverine with a non-apologetic grin. "You are a handsome man, Logan.  Never underestimate that. You are one of the very few rivals I have ever encountered that can match me blow for blow, and you seem to enjoy it as much as I do. That is a rare thing.  To find someone you consider worthy of your attention. Yes, I was excited. Yes, I was attracted to you, and yes, I still am."

Logan was completely unprepared for such brutal honesty laid bare to him.  Denials and anger he could take, but admittance and acceptance? He had no idea how to react. In his confusion, he just watched as Sabertooth finished his lap around the room, and headed over to him. In the last few feet of his approach, their gazes were locked on each other. Victor's, hungry, honest and watching, while Logan's was uncertain, guarded and defensive.

Sabertooth walked up to stand close to Logan. Close enough to be in his personal space, but not close enough that Logan could claim he was being smothered. Victor slowly raised his hand; so slowly in order to give Logan time to back away if he wanted to.  He did not. Victor traced his finger very gently along Wolverine's face, feeling the contours, and feeling the coarseness of his skin. His hand dropped to his side, and the two men stood there, daring the other to say something first. 

"Well, that is not something I do with another guy," Logan said forcefully in response to the suggestion.

"I never said you had to," Victor replied. Being this close to him, and talking about the very thing that was on his mind at that moment made that statement very difficult to say. He wanted nothing more than to reach down and embrace Logan, showing him the depths of passion he was capable of giving. Instead, he reigned in those feelings, forcing himself to be rational.

"Relax, Logan. I may feel certain things towards you, but I would never force myself upon you. But let me ask you something. When was the last time you enjoyed the company of a woman? A soft, fragile woman with whom you could unleash the full potential of your passions, and not worry about breaking her bones, or hurting her." Victor paused, and he could see Logan thinking about what he had just said. 

"The moment I met you, I realized I had found someone worthy of my attentions. Someone who I could reveal my true nature to; all the energy, rage, passion and lust I have suppressed within me for so long.  Someone who could control me in a way that no one else has ever controlled me before. I saw within you the potential to be a mate. Not a sex partner, not a rival or just a friend, but a mate.  Someone who I could share my life with – both the good and the ugly. I realize this may not be to your liking, but it made me realize that where I was – living and working for Magneto, was not getting me very far in life.  It was a wake up call for me.  It was one of the reasons I chose to leave the Brotherhood.  Not because of you in particular, but because of what you represent. I want more out of life than what I am experiencing, and I am willing to sacrifice a lot to get that.  I realize you may not be interested, and if that is the case, then I can accept that. But there may be someone out there like you, with the traits I am looking for in a mate." 

Sabertooth had been patient, trying to make Logan understand what he was thinking and feeling.  Somewhere between the "…but I would never force myself upon you." and the "and I am willing to sacrifice a lot to get that.", those pent-up emotions were released. 

"As you can imagine, this was not something I planned to talk to you about at this particular point in time. However, now that it is out in the open, and standing this close to you, it brings up a lot of feelings for me. I suggest you either leave the room and run back to your precious X-Men, or stay here and let me prove my feelings to you." 

Wolverine was shocked at what he had just heard. Most of him wanted to turn and run through the door, down the hall and keep running until he was as far away from this feral giant as he could get.  However, another small part of him didn't. Victor had just voiced what he had been feeling for a while, but was far too set in his ways to change.  He had always been with women – never a guy. It just wasn't right. But deep down Logan knew he had been deceiving himself. It didn't matter the sex of the person, but more who the person was.  And to be honest, he was tired of holding himself back, always afraid he would inadvertently hurt the person he was with. That wouldn't be the case here.

It was his indecision to leave the room or stay that was his downfall. Sabertooth made the decision for him.

Very slowly, so to give Logan time to change his mind, Victor leaned down, placing his arms on either side of Logan and resting them on the examination table. He lowered his face towards the other mutant, and was surprised when Logan did not move, and allowed him to come so close. With his eyes open, Victor leaned in, placing his lips very gently against those of the man in front of him.  The first kiss was mainly from Victor's end, slow and patient. He kissed him again, until he felt just the briefest of responses from Logan. Deepening the kiss, Victor once more felt his loins gather in excitement, pushing against the fabric of his pants. He brought his hands up and grasped Logan by the upper arm, squeezing them, conveying his need to the other man. He probed gently with his tongue, only to be surprised to find Logan's meeting him. A low growl of pure please escaped Sabertooth's throat before he heard the sound of footsteps come from the doorway. 

Victor backed away, but Logan literally jumped from between Sabertooth's arms, creating a distance between them that could never suggest he was about to return the passions he felt from the larger feral. They separated just before they saw Scott enter the room, who addressed them both. 

"Hey. Well, it looks like Kitty has agreed to our little plan. The Professor wants us to meet just after dinner, to discuss the details of how everything will happen. Sabertooth, if you want to follow me, I will show you where you can clean up before dinner. I am sure you are more than tired of Logan's company by now," he said, grinning as he baited Logan with the taunt. 

Logan ignored Scott, turning his back on both of the mutants.  He had to get his emotions under control before he could say anything. 

"All right," Victor said. He turned to face Wolverine's back. "We can continue this, _discussion_, later," he said, not expecting a reply.  He heard a grunt of response from Logan, and turned around to face Scott. 

Scott indicated that Sabertooth lead on, and he followed the large feral out the door. Scott purposefully turned off the lights at the top of the stairs, leaving Logan alone in the dark.

Logan did not mind.  He was still recovering from one of the most passionate, chaste, and unexpected kisses he had ever received in his life. He shook his head, still not completely comfortable with what had just happened. He had a lot of thinking to do in the next while…


End file.
